Bird of the Day - Common Merganser

The Bird of the Day today is the common Merganser.  They are a larger type of diving duck.  Other mergansers in our region include the red-breasted merganser and the hooded merganser.  You can see some pictures of the hooded mergansers in one of my previous Bird of the Day posts.

 I took these pictures right in the Grand Marais, MN harbor.  The top picture is near the Coast Guard Station, and the bottom two pictures are from the campground.  I enjoyed watching the common merganser with the Canada geese.

Can you spot the common merganser amongst the flock of Canada geese?

Baby American Robins

I have been watching this nest for about a week, and had several encounters with the adult American robin.  Today I walked by, and saw four chicks looking at me.  The mother was calling from nearby, so I did not get too close to the nest.  I was able to take this picture using my 60x optical zoom from about twenty feet away.

Bird of the Day - Ring-necked Duck

 The Bird of the Day for today is the ring-necked duck.  I spotted this pair along the Kekekabic Trail off of the Gunflint Trail.  This duck is found throughout the continental United States, along with large parts of Canada and Mexico.

Bird of the Day - Common Grackle

The Bird of the Day for today is the common grackle.  It is related to the blackbirds.  The common grackle is 12.5 inches long, with a wingspan of 17 inches.  It is distinguished from the blackbirds by the long and thick bill, keeled tail, and distinctive voice.

I took these pictures by Lake Superior in Grand Marais, Minnesota.

Bird of the Day - Merlin

 The Bird of the Day for today is the merlin.  I photographed this bird shortly after returning to the Gunflint Trail.  There was a pile of feathers nearby, so the merlin has most likely hunted there before.

 The merlin is one of three species of falcon in north-eastern Minnesota.  Peregrine falcons are the largest, followed by the merlin, and the American kestrel is the smallest of that family in Cook County.  

Bird of the Day - Black-capped Chickadee

 The Bird of the Day is the black-capped chickadee.  It is one of the most common year-round birds in Minnesota.  The only other chickadee in Minnesota is the much rarer boreal chickadee, which has a brown cap.

 Black-capped chickadees sing their own name, "chick-a-dee-dee-dee."  They also sing a two-toned "fee-bee" call mainly in the spring.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!  As a tribute to mothers everywhere, I have gathered several pictures of bird mothers (or mothers soon-to-be), and some babies too.

Mallard with Ducklings

Mallard Ducklings

Canada Goose on Nest

Turkey Hen Watching Over Her Nest

Mallard Hen with Ducklings

All of these pictures were taken in Roseville, Minnesota.